Women sue former Santa Fe officer

7 allege harassment, stalking, intimidation

A group of women accused a former Santa Fe police officer of harassing, stalking and abusing them, and now they want him to pay.

In the lawsuit, the women said they were emotionally assaulted by police officer Mike Eiskant.

“This man was using that authority to stalk, harass and intimidate these people and invade their privacy in the most egregious and frightening way that he could,” attorney Cammie Nichols said.

Earlier this year, Eiskant resigned and pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from the victims’ complaints. He was also caught masturbating in his squad car while on duty as his dash camera was accidentally recording.

Now, he faces a lawsuit filed by seven women, including former fellow officer and a former city judge. The lawsuit alleges that many complaints have been made over Eiskant’s 12-year career, accusing him of abusing his power, following, bullying and intimidating women and making them feel violated. He’s even accused of sexually abusing a police informant, and the women said their cries fell on deaf ears.

“It was essentially ignored, which then empowered him to continue this behavior,” Nichols said.

The lawsuit also names the city and Santa Fe Police Chief Ray Rael for not doing enough to stop Eiskant’s abuse. One former police officer said she felt her own job was in jeopardy because she complained about Eiskant.

“By the time there was some action taken by the police department, it was too late and Eiskant had been completely emboldened in this behavior and had gone on so long I think it was almost impossible to stop,” Nichols said.

The women are now looking for compensation for what the lawsuit claims is their embarrassment, humiliation and living in fear. They also want to prevent Eiskant for having any contact with them.

Rael and the city attorney said they cannot comment on a pending lawsuit, but said they’re carefully reviewing the case. Rael told the Albuquerque Journal that the accusations against him are not true.

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